life is best with laughter.... 

My buddies Todd & Sheila were here this weekend and I caught them being silly on the swing in the upper meadow!  We had fun exploring the many varieties of wildflowers in the meadow and trails with Sheila's camera.  Thanks for playing with me... Love, Millie 

The birthday boy at Colchuck! 

Brrrr... it was a little cold, but the water of glacier fed Colchuck Lake was a welcome treat to our weekend guests toes after their hike in this weekend.  No dogs allowed in the Alpine Wilderness so I stayed back and hiked our MHL trails with other guests, but I am awed at the beauty of this special birthday weekend hike C & E enjoyed!  Bark, bark congrats!  Love, Millie V. 

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Asparagus 

A delicious weeknight dinner modified from a recipe found on NYTimescooking.com.  Chef Ron is currently featuring tender roasted locally grown Quincy asparagus in his Saturday Chef's 4-course dinner.  Try this easy recipe for your dinner - - Bon Appetit, Millie

Ingredients: 

18-24 fresh asparagus spears

12 oz wide egg noodles

Zest and juice of 2 lemons; zest cut in very thin 1" strips

1 c heavy cream

1-2 cloves peeled garlic, sliced thin or minced

Kosher salt to taste

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:  

1.  Heat oven to 400.  Clean and trim asparagus spears. Toss lightly with olive oil and roast on a sheet pan approximately 8-12 min, until tender, but still crisp.  Set aside. 

2. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add noodles, stir to separate.  Cook for 8 min or until tender.  Drain and return to pot. 

3.  Just before noodles are done, in a small saucepan combine the lemon zest, garlic, cream, salt & pepper.  Cook over medium heat for 2-5 min, or until cream comes to a boil.  

4.  Pour cream mixture over drained noodles and add the lemon juice.  Stir to coat.  Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Season with additional pepper as desired.  

5.  Serve pasta in wide bowl placing roasted asparagus on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Check out our new spring video my dad Brad made.  He is having way too much fun with his drone!  Snow in the upper elevations is disappearing fast.  Indian paintbrush, trillium and lupine are now blooming on the trails.  Come enjoy for yourself - Love Millie V. 

Mountain Home elk sunrise! 

The elk herd graced our meadow this week as the sun awakened the Cascades with an alpenglow sky!  I (Millie) was still sleeping so missed this site, but thankfully a guest shared her photo with us.  Pretty neat, huh?     

Come enjoy our slice of paradise for 2 nights and dinner for two is at half price this upcoming weekend, May 6-8th!     PS: this photo was taken on Wednesday so you can see how gorgeous it is here right now! 

Enjoy any two nights lodging May 6-8, 2016 at our spring rates and join us for our Saturday Chef’s 4-course dinner for two at half price… a $75 savings!  A perfect weekend to celebrate the arrival of spring and Mother’s Day!  Limited space so please act now!  800-414-2378

Sweet!

The beautiful lilac bushes here are the Lodge are budded and starting to bloom!  Their delicious scent perfumes the air in the meadow and at the orchard.  Come and "sniff" for yourself!  Weather dependent, it looks like we will enjoy them to mid-May.  Let us know if we can add a vase in your room if you are able to make it over here these next few weeks.  

Leavenworth was featured in Singletracks Magazine's recent article as WA premier mountain biking capital.  We have great trails here at the lodge as well as the area.  Check it out!  http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/the-51-mountain-bike-capitals-of-the-united-states/11/ 

Now that's a view! 

Lupine, indian paintbrush and so many more wildflowers are on their way! 

April showers bring May flowers!  Winter snows are receding as temperatures warm, rivers rise with mountain melt off and the mountain returns to green and wildflowers.  Hiked the Overlook trail this morning with "mom" (Kathy) and we saw lots of avalanche lilies, spring beauty and wood anemone.  A few patches of snow here and there and a few trees hanging low we had to walk over, under or around, but it was gorgeous!  Stellar blue skies,  sunshine on a crisp morning, bird song, elk tracks and snow-capped Cascades... living here doesn't get much better!  Come join the party!  Love, Millie 

It's rough being an animal at Mountain Home Lodge... here is my brother Jack "working" at the resort.  Someone has to take care of capturing the rays and enjoying a guest's lap and Jack is our man!